Small Things
by gena7180
Summary: Sometimes the smallest things can make the biggest changes in your life. RH and HG fluffy and fun set during the gang's 7th year.
1. Chapter 1

Diagon Alley was hot and crowded. Everywhere one looked there were people. The majority of these were students all dressed in seemingly identical black cloaks. But upon closer inspection onlookers could see that each cloak had a different crest decorating it. And as any witch or wizard knew those crests represented each of the four houses at Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizarding.  
  
Standing impatiently outside of Flourish and Blotts were two of these students. Each boy proudly displayed the red and gold of Gryiffindor. There was something about these boys that made them stand out. Perhaps it was the desperate way they were pacing or that they were both very handsome. Or it could have been that each had such distinguishing characteristics. One of the pair was abnormally tall and had shockingly red hair. The way he paced with his red hair he seemed like a caged lion. Perhaps it wasn't the red head at all that made them stand out but the dark haired boy. He had the looked of a boy who had recently filled out and become a man. His messy black hair practically begged the passing girls to run their fingers through it. Or maybe it was the lightening bolt scar that ran across his forehead.  
  
Harry Potter and Ron Weasley were not your ordinary students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizarding. Harry with his famous scar had been a celebrity practically since birth. His best friend Ron had joined Harry in the spot light almost immediately after they met at Kings Cross during their first year at school. Why then where these two boys who seemed to have it all scowling and pacing on the sidewalk? The answer is quite simple they were missing their third.  
  
Yes like many famous and great friends, this duo was really a trio. The third was undoubtedly "the brains" and "the beauty" of the operation. Hermione Granger was a pretty muggle born girl and had been top of the class for their first 6 years at school and there seemed to be on reason to doubt this pattern would hold during their 7th and final year at Hogwarts. Hermione was supposed to have met Ron and Harry 15 minutes ago so they trio could catch up while they purchased their supplies for the upcoming school year.  
  
Rom seemed to be taking her tardiness worse than Harry. While Harry was anxious to see Hermione again, Ron was going crazy. "Where is she?" Rom asked for the hundredth time. "She goes to Bulgaria to see Vickie for the whole bloody summer and now can't even show up on time to meet us. I guess some things must be more important than friends you've had for 6 years." Harry merely raised his eyebrows. Hermione spending the summer with Viktor Krum was a sore spot with Ron and it was best not to poke at it.  
  
Ten more minutes passed and just as Harry thought Ron was going to explode Hermione appeared. She slipped up behind them and put an arm around each of their waists pulling them in close for a hug. "I've missed you two so much."  
  
Before Harry could react Ron was off. "Funny way of showing it you've got!! Only one letter all summer telling us to meet you here. Then you are almost 30 minutes late for a meeting you planned. Yeah I can tell you were just consumed with missing us."  
  
Ron tried to pull away from Hermione but she tightened her grip on him. Refusing to let him walk away. Eyes filling Hermione looked into Ron's eyes. "I know I'm late and I know I'm a bad friend. You just don't understand. Please Ron just let me explain. This summer has just been so hard." The last sentence was barely a whisper as Hermione finally gave way to her tears and broke down.  
  
Harry started to reach for Hermione to comfort her but before he could she was in Ron's arms. Harry stood frozen in place staring in disbelief at what he was seeing. The embrace had turned into much more than comfort or two friends leaning on each other. Soon Ron and Hermione were touching each other everywhere. Hands caressing each other as if their lives depending on it. Ron was stroking her hair and drying her tears. He kept placing soft kisses at her temples. Hermione was stroking Ron's back, arms and hair. Harry could tell they were whispering frantically to each other but couldn't understand what was being said. 


	2. Chapter 2

After staring blankly for a few moments Harry suddenly sprang to life and started forward towards his two best friends. Before he could take a step forward he felt soft fingers close around his wrist. Startled he turned to see Ron's sister Ginny holding his arm. Before he could speak she pressed her index finger to lips indicating he should remain silent. Then she led him away from Ron and Hermione.  
  
Once they were a safe distance away Harry spoke. "What's going on? Why are they acting like that? Why did you pull me away" Then before Harry could continue his tirade he noticed Ginny's thumb gently stroking the sensitive inside of his wrist. Harry was first surprised that they were still touching and even more surprised at comforting her touch was to him. Ginny began to speak "Harry sometimes we are blind to the things that are closest to us. Those two have been holding back their feelings for each other for years."  
  
"But what happened now to make those feelings come out?"  
  
"Well, Harry, sometimes it is the simplest thing, the smallest touch that puts you over the edge, that makes it simply impossible to hide your feelings any longer."  
  
Then to Harry's surprise Ginny's hand slipped from his wrist down to his hand. Their fingers were entwined and as if it had a mind of his own his thumb began stroking her hand. "Come on Harry let's go for a walk while Ron and Hermione sort things out."  
  
Harry nodded back. He seemed unable to speak. How could this all be happening at once? Only an hour ago life was as it had always been. Now Ron and Hermione were kissing in the street and he was walking through Diagon Alley holding Ginny's hand.  
  
Ginny's hand!!! How could this be? And why did it feel so right? When did she grow up and has she always been this beautiful? What was he thinking this was Ginny, his best friend's kid sister? Ron was going to kill him. Even with that though Harry continued his study of Ginny, staring as if he had never seen her before. She never had that longed for growth spurt and was quite petite. Her head barely came to the middle of Harry's chest. Suddenly her small size made Harry feel protective of her in a way he never had before. And her hair, it was amazing. It was still the Weasley red but had deepened to an auburn color. Her skin was incredibly fair the color of porcelain. She had a faint dusting of freckles on the bridge of her nose. Harry found him resisting the urge to try to kiss every one of those freckles. Shocked at this line of thought and reminding himself that this was Ron's kid sister, Harry forced himself to stare straight ahead.  
  
If Ginny noticed Harry's study of her she didn't show it. She instead was enjoying their stroll through the bustling shopping area. Occasionally they would wave to their classmates but neither spoke. They both seemed unsure of what to say and fearful that speaking would ruin the moment they were wrapped up in.  
  
Like all good things though, Harry and Ginny's quite afternoon had to end. And of course it ended in typically Harry Potter fashion. Just as the pair approached Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor, Draco Malfoy jumped out of a dark corner and positioned himself directly in front of Harry and Ginny. Harry sighed and thought here we go again.  
  
"So Potter got yourself a new girlfriend do you. I suppose she is interested in your money because what other reason is there to like you."  
  
"Bug off Malfoy, Ginny is my friend." And then suddenly as if I light came on his head Harry grew up a little bit. "Malfoy I am tired of this and tired of you. If there is anything I have learned in the past few years that is how important it is to spend time with those most important to you. And frankly you are keeping me from doing just that." At Malfoy's shocked look Harry continued. "That's right Draco, I care about Ginny she is my friend." Harry wrapped an arm around Ginny's waist. "And we are catching up from summer break and then we are meeting Ron and Hermione. So that is what we are going to continue to do. Not that I would expect you to understand due to your lack of true friends."  
  
With those closing words and Harry and Ginny walked off arms still around each other. Harry knew that his encounter with Malfoy was too good to be true though and had already pulled his wand out of his robes and had it pointed behind him before Malfoy could speak. Harry muttered "Protego" just as Draco shouted his curse. Harry never knew what the curse was but imagined from Draco's screams when it bounced off Harry's shield and back on to him that it must have been awful. Now that was over with Harry looked down at Ginny and said "Let's get some ice cream."  
  
Harry had pulled Ginny into the shop and had thoroughly examined the menu before he realized how pale and shaken she looked. "What is the matter Ginny? Draco isn't going to hurt you I won't let him." "Nothing is the matter Harry I am just tired. Get your ice cream."  
  
"Get my ice cream? Aren't you having any? Come on Ginny it is my treat."  
  
"Harry I can't have ice cream. Think of the calories! I will never fit into my robes."  
  
"You girls are so silly. You look fine just the way you are. I am getting a sundae and we are splitting and that is all there is to it."  
  
After ordering their sundae with two spoons the pair set down in a booth. Harry immediately began to question Ginny again about her state of mind. Finally she caved and said "Did you mean it Harry?"  
  
In typical male fashion on ignorance Harry responded with "Did I mean what Ginny? That you can share my ice cream? Of course I meant it I am not Ron the human garbage disposal after all."  
  
Ginny sighed and looked down at the floor and whispered, "No what you said to Draco about caring about me."  
  
Now looking even more puzzled Harry answered, "Of course I meant it Ginny, I mean you are more than Ron's little sister to me. You are my friend just like Hermione, Ron or Neville." After he was finished speaking Harry decided he was going to have to take action to get Ginny out of her mood. Looking down at their ice cream the perfect idea came to him.  
  
Harry stuck his finger into the whipped cream and before Ginny knew what was happening he had wiped it on her nose and chin. She looked started for a moment, but having 6 brothers she knew what to do next. She stuck two fingers into the ice cream itself and wiped them on Harry. That was all it took, a full blown food fight between the two of them had begun. Soon they were both laughing and covered in ice cream. Their table and the surrounding area was also covered in ice cream much to the dismay of Florean Fortescue the owner of the shop. Harry quickly cleaned the up the mess with a simple scouring spell. But cleaning up himself and Ginny was going to be a different matter.  
  
Ginny had ice cream dripping from her hair, her nose, her robes, her chin every imaginable place and Harry was sure he looked the same. Quickly drawing on course work from the previous year Harry conjured a bowl of warm water and two wash clothes. The pair began the process of cleaning themselves up. They were doing well but there were places a person just couldn't see on their own body. Harry finally reached over and began to wash Ginny's face for her. The moment he touched Ginny's face things changed. He slipped his hand over the table to hold hers while the other hand began exploring her soft skin.  
  
It was in this position that Ron and Hermione found the pair. "What the devil do you think you are doing with my sister Harry?!?!" Ron shouted causing Harry and Ginny to jump startled and to quickly pull away from each other. Sensing the tension between the two friends Hermione quickly asked Ginny to go for a walk with her so Ron and Harry could talk.  
  
Harry began "So I see you and Hermione's hormones have calmed down."  
  
Blushing Ron replied "Yeah about that I hope you aren't too angry at us and that is really why I was looking for you. I wanted to tell you that.well..umm..HermioneandIhavedecidedtodate. There I said it."  
  
"Well Ron thanks for the news flash but I did get the impression early that you two liked each other so I am not shocked by this. As long as you two are happy I am happy for you. But remember as Hermione's best friend I feel obliged to tell you., if you hurt her I will hurt you."  
  
Grinning Ron gave Harry a quick hug, but as he pulled back his grinned faded as if he had just remembered something disturbing. And that was in fact what he had just done. "Hey nice change of subject Harry but you still haven't answered my question. What in the blood hell are you doing with my little sister?" 


	3. author's note

I have more of this story if people are interested but I don't want to waste my time if no one likes it. Please read and review! I won't be offended. 


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